Quote:
Originally Posted by Muta
Most big cities I've been to aren't like Calgary's after 6 PM. At all.
|
I agree.
The biggest downfall with downtown Calgary is the failure to monetize or capitalize on Stephen Avenue. Stephen Ave should be the go to destination in Calgary for entertainment and a night out. I'm not recommending it become a bar/club district (former Electric Ave) but it should provide some form of entertainment.
It should always be pedestrian only (with the exception of early morning hours for deliveries and such) and should offer various forms of entertainment including open air vendors, food trucks, street performances, etc. It is fairly good right now during the day (lunch hour) but has nothing going on in the evening. Olympic Plaza would be a great place for small concerts or performances from local artists and bands.
Stephen Ave is such a great location with the C-train running parallel and a block away. The location also offers easy access to thousands of tourists and business folks via the thousands of hotel rooms within 2 or 3 blocks.
On weekends, Stephen Ave should be host to various types of festivals such as Sun and Salsa (Kensington), Lilac Festival (4th street), Marda Gras (Marda Loop) etc. but the street does nothing. Over the last few years I can only recall two (maybe three) events down on Stephen Ave.
As an example of what Stephen Ave should be we can look at a city that is very similar to ours, Denver. The 16th Street mall in downtown Denver is very much like Stephen Ave with the exception that it is actually active and a destination during the evenings. I had a great time walking up and down 16th Street when I was there for a Flames game. Another example I can think of (maybe it is not a great example) is the Magnificent Mile in Chicago. As a third example it would be great to see Stephen Ave adopt some of the life that Freemont Street in Vegas has (obviously minus the casinos.)